Process and apparatus for winding threads



Sept. 8, 1970 H scl-npp s ET AL 3,527,421

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR WINDING THREADS Filed May 13, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS: HEINZ SCHIPPERS WOLFGANG WEBER M CQW Sept. 8, 1970 H. SCHIPPERS ET AL 3,

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR WINDING THREADS Filed May 15, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1.\'\ 'EX'I'ORS HEINZ SCHIPPERS WOLFGANG WEBER ATT'YS United States Patent 3,527,421 PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR WINDING THREADS Heinz Schippers, Remscheid-Lennep, and Wolfgang Weber, Wuppertal-Elberfeld, Germany, assignors to Barmer Maschinenfabrik AG., Wuppertal-Oberbarmen, Germany Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 470,971,

July 12, 1965. This application May 13, 1968, Ser. No. 733,215 Claims priority, applicatio; Germany, July 14, 1964, B 7 3 Int. Cl. nssh 54/02 US. Cl. 242-18 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This is a continuation-in-part of our copending application Ser. No. 470,971 which was filed in the United States on July 12, 1965, now abandoned.

The present invention is directed to an improved winding process and to apparatus for carrying out the process. In particular, the invention relates to the winding of freshly stretched synthetic chemical threads and to the formation of slightly biconical cross-wound bobbins.

As is well known, an effort is made in the formation of cross-wound bobbins to maintain the thread guide, which distributes the thread on the rotating bobbin body in traverse motion, as close as possible to the spool or bobbin body. If this is not done, a clean winding structure, especially at the winding ends, is no longer assured due to the thread lag caused by the distance between the thread guide element and the thread run-on point. Inasmuch as the spool body circumference grows continuously during the winding process and correspondingly its distance from the thread guide diminishes, however, limits are set on the further growth of the spool body. For this reason the thread to be distributed by the thread guide frequently is first allowed to run onto a roller supporting or driving the bobbin from which the thread is then delivered directly to the spool body circumference.

It is an object of the present invention to provide another approach to the formation of slightly biconical crosswound bobbin. The invention contemplates both a novel process and apparatus for accomplishing the present objective.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a process and apparatus which is especially adapted for the winding of freshly stretched synthetic threads.

Another object is to provide an apparatus and process for producing windings which have slightly biconically terminating ends, whereby thread bunching or bulging between the conical end portions and the cylindrical middle portions of the winding is avoided.

According to the subject invention it is proposed that the free thread interval between the exit of the thread from the thread guide element, on the one hand, and the run-on point of the thread on the spool body circumference, on the other hand, which initially is chosen as 3,527,421 Patented Sept. 8, 1970 ICC small as possible, be lengthened during the winding process. The lengthening of the free thread interval is accomplished by moving the thread guide element and/or the bobbin spindle away from each other, the traverse stroke of the thread guide element remaining constant during the entire winding process.

Ordinary spooling devices consisting of a spool driven by a drive roller along with a thread guide element that reciprocates or turns with a constant stroke can be used in carrying out the subject winding process. The movement of the thread guide element away from the bobbin body circumference can be accomplished by mechanical, electrical or hydraulic control means.

The proposed winding process can also be executed in a simple manner and without any additional expenditure by means of a known spooling device consisting of a bobbin, which is swingably or slidably arranged and is pressable against a drive roller along with a turning thread guide element for high traverse stroke numbers if the spatial arrangement characterized below of the drive roller, bobbin or swinging arm bearing and thread guide element is maintained. It is merely necessary that three axes of the thread guide, drive roller, and bobbin be directed parallel to one another in a known manner and that the bobbin axis be arranged slidably along a guide or swingably about the swinging arm axis parallel to the three axes. In a further feature of the invention it is preferred that the swinging arm axis be arranged approximately in a common plane with the two axes of the thread guide and the drive roller. It has further proven advantageous to keep the spacing between the thread guide axis and the winding surface approximately constant during the winding process.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the increase in the thread lag is not linear but is accomplished periodically or by a pilgrim step. In this way it is possible to produce biconical cross-wound bobbins with rotating traverse motion thread guides having a constant stroke length, which wound bodies or bobbins have highly advantageous characteristics. It is known that freshly stretched synthetic fibers or threads leave the stretching mechanism at an extremely high rate of speed. Prior to the present invention these threads could only be wound into cross windings having straight ends. Windings with conical ends, however, have better run-off properties. The periodic increase of the free thread interval (thread drag length) takes place by superimposing a reciprocating movement on the uniform drag length increase. Each increase in the drag length is followed by a drag length reduction of lesser dimension followed again by the succeeding drag length increase, and so forth. A drag length increase that proceeds in this way produces a corresponding stroke length modification of the individual winding layers. Thereby, there occurs at the slightly biconically resulting end faces of the winding a so-called breathing. Here, the ends of adjacent winding layers overlap, whereby edge bulging (bellying) between the conical end portions and the cylindrical middle portion of the winding are avoided. The bellyings at the winding end would cause an increase in thread tension which, in turn, produce harmful effects on the properties of the thread in further processing, as, for example, dyeing characteristics, elasticity, shrinking, etc. Through the periodic lengthening of the free thread interval between traverse element outlet and thread runon point on the winding, these drawbacks are avoided with certainty and simultaneously the windings acquire a desired shape.

In the drawing,

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of the subject device in which a free thread length is continuously increased as the winding body is produced;

FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a preferred embodiment of the invention in which a reciprocal movement of the thread guide means is superimposed on the increase in the thread lag;

FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of a cam drive and cam which can be used in the apparatus of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of a modified cam and cam drive which includes a device for regulating the speed at which the cam is rotated.

In the embodiment of the invention schematically set forth in FIG. 1 of the drawing, a spoo ing apparatus is shown with a swingably borne winding (take-up) bobbin and with a slotted drum as a thread guide. The freshly stretched synthetic chemical thread 1, reciprocated with a constant and equal stroke by drum 2, is wound onto bobbin 3, which is arranged on swinging arm 4 and, in consequence of a weight-loaded lever arm or cable line 5 is pressed against drive roller 8 and thus is driven by the latter. By reason of the special spatial allocation of the four axes A, B, C and D to one another with the approximately right triangles ABD formed on a common base line A- B-C at the beginning and at the end of the winding process, with right angle at D1 for the empty bobbin as well as BCD with right angle at B for the full bobbin, the interval BD being smaller than or equal to the interval AB and the clear space between drum 2 and drive roller 8 allowing relatively deep penetration of the empty bobbin '3 between the two, it is possible to achieve the result that the free thread interval between the thread emergence from the slotted drum and the run-on point of the thread on the bobbin (spool) body circumference grows constantly from its original length 6 in the course of the winding process up to the length 7 at the end of the process. Through the increasing length of the free thread interval during the winding process, and, correspondingly, the free lag length of the thread moved back and forth by the thread guide element, a stroke loss is deliberately achieved and the effective distributing width of the thread layers on the bobbin body is progressively reduced. This stroke reduction takes place without additional mechanical devices which, in consequence of the masses to be moved, can permit only low traverse stroke numbers. For this reason the proposed arrangement has the special advantage that the simplified winding process for the formation of slightly biconical cross-wound bobbins can be carried out with considerably higher stroke numbers.

FIG. 2 represents the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the subject invention. The device pictured is capable of producing a periodical, i.e., pilgrim step, motion increase in the free thread length. In this figure the oscillatory movement of traverse drum 2 is controlled lay cam or eccentric 12 which is shown in greater detail in FIG. 3. Axle A of the traverse thread guide means is carried in the fork end of lever 10 which is pivotally mounted on machine frame 9. Cam or eccentric 12 contacts the lower portion 10' of arm 10 at contact point 11 which can be a slotted wheel. As the cam or eccentric is rotated lever or arm 10' is moved in an upward or downward direction. The movement of the drum 2 takes place in the direction of the tangents at the base of the traverse groove of the thread guide means wherein thread 1 changes its entry direction to its run-out direction. In FIG. 4 cam control means is shown as including motor 13 and speed regulating means 14.

The spacing between the surface of the thread guide drum and the empty tube measured along the connecting straight line AD; amounted initially to about 3 mm. and at the end of the winding between the traverse drum and finished winding-measured along the connecting line AD to about 11 mm. For these minimal spacings, the projection of the free thread interval between run-out point from the traverse drum and the run-on point on the tube or winding surface into the plane of the drawing of the figure amounted initially to about 30 mm. and at the end of the winding to about mm. Without reciprocating movement of the traverse drum, therefore, the projection of the free thread interval into the plane of the drawing would have increased during the entire winding operation uniformly from 30 to 80 mm. and would have yielded a conicity of the two winding ends corresponding to the increasing thread lag.

The magnitude of the superimposed reciprocating movement of the traverse drum amounted to 30 mm. In this case total length of the free thread interval can be modified initially to between 30 and 60 mm. and at the end of the winding process to between 80 and mm. It is also possible, however, to reduce the magnitude of this reciprocating movement (for example, to 10 mm.) or to increase it (for example, to 50 mm.). These measures do not represent any final values but, rather, they depend on the final surface firmness desired of the winding, on the particular composition desired in each case of the border bulges between the conical end portion and the cylindrical middle portion of the winding and on the wound thread material itself. The smaller the reciprocating movement becomes, the stronger becomes the edge structure of the Winding at the stroke reversal points, which, for example, increases its suitability for shipping. On the other hand, the reciprocating movement has to be increased with threads that are more rigid and have a denser round cross section because such threads favor to a greater degree the formation of border bulgings than a thread that is softer and more flatly compressible in band form. In the Winding of monofiles, therefore, the breathing has to be greater.

The duration of one reciprocating movement is, in relation to the traverse speed, very Slight. In the illustrated example the winding was done at 1500 m./mm. and the traverse at 800 r.p.m.i.e., the thread was moved 800 times a minute from the right to the left end of the bobbin and back. The reciprocating movement of the traverse drum for the alteration of the free thread interval took place, in contrast to this, only once a minute. It has proved expedient for the development of an irregular scarred winding end face to carry out this reciprocating movement more rapidly than 1 per minute and to let the rest of the minute run without reciprocating movement. It is possible, therefore, to execute the reciprocating movement continuously and discontinuously.

The back-and-forth modification of the free thread interval, which is superimposed on the uniform free thread interval increase with the growth of the winding radius, can be generated by, in each case, axially parallel shifting of the thread guide axis A, of the swinging arm axis C or of the drive roller axis (or axle) B. The reciprocating displacement of the axes A and C can take place approximately parallel to the planes through which the thread passes in its traverse movement, or as shown in the drawing, can take place vertically. The displacement of the axis B can take place transversely to these planes or horizontally as is shown in the drawing. While the direct displacement of axis A brings about a back-andforth length modification of thefree thread interval, in the displacement of the axis B or C an unrolling of the Winding on the drive roller takes place and thereby a lateral extension of the winding axis D and, resulting from this, the reciprocating length alteration of the free thread interval.

For the achievement of such axial movements the hearing of the axis chosen in each case can be designed for a linear shifting movement, for an arcuate swinging movement, or for a circular rotary movement. The swinging bearing would presumably be of simpler construction, the linear shifting bearing, on the other hand, being more exact in movement. The rotary bearing presents certain difliculties for the energy feed to the drive of the drive roller or the traverse drum because of the necessary frictional contacts. The choice of the bearing is governed according to the particular operating conditions.

It is most expedient, however, to have this reciprocating movement carried out by the traverse element, because this, on the one hand, has only slight forces to transmit and, moreover, can be ballastecl, While the swinging arm bearing and also the drive roller bearing, because of the rather great winding weight and possible imbalances, have to be constructed very stably, and because, on the other hand, the geometric relations are least disturbed in the interplay of the movements of axes A, B, D.

We claim:

1. Spooling apparatus for the formation of slightly biconical cross-wound bobbins which comprises: a bobbin driven by means of a drive roller, a thread traversing guide element with a constant stroke, control means for constantly moving the surface of the bobbin body away from the thread emergence point of the thread guide element as the bobbin body grows, and means for superimposing a periodic movement of said thread guide element toward and away from the surface of said bobbin body on said constant movement.

2. Spooling apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said control means for moving said surface away from said thread emergence point is a bearing containing swinging arm, said swinging arm supporting said bobbin body.

3. Spooling apparatus as in claim 2 wherein the axes of the traverse guide element (A), the drive roller (B) and the swinging arm bearing (C) lie approximately in one plane and at the commencement of the winding process the plane passing through the swinging arm axis (A) and the bobbin axis (D1) include with the plane passing through the drive roller axis (B) and bobbin axis (D1) on the bobbin axis (D1) an approximately right angle and at the end of the winding process the plane passing through the drive roller axis (B) and the bobbin axis (D2) include with the plane passing through the drive roller axis (B) and swinging arm axis (C) a right angle on the drive roller axis (B), the interval between the two axes (BDZ) being smaller or equal to the internal (AB). 4. An improved winding process for the formation of slightly biconical cross-wound bobbins, characterized by the feature that the free thread interval, at first chosen as small as possible, between the emergence of the thread from a rotating thread guide element on the one hand and the run-on point of the thread on the bobbin body circumference on the other hand is lengthened during the winding process by increasing the distance between the thread guide element and the bobbin axis, said interval being lengthened by periodically increasing the interval followed by a decrease of the interval of lesser dimension, the traverse stroke of the thread guide element remaining constant during the entire winding process.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,752,100 6/ 1956 Stange. 2,753,125 7/ 6 Wurmli.

2,862,672 12/1958 Pool et a1 242--l8.1 3,393,879 7/1968 OBrien 242-181 FOREIGN PATENTS 584,631 10/1959 Canada. 1,495,119 8/ 1967 France.

NATHAN L. MINTZ, Primary Examiner 

